The unbelievable true story of the pope who turned the Lateran Palace into a medieval frat house.
When people imagine the papacy, they often picture solemn rituals, ancient wisdom, and leaders chosen after long, prayerful deliberation. But history tells a far stranger story — especially when it comes to Pope John XII, a young man whose election was so unexpected and so politically manipulated that even his contemporaries described it as an accident. What followed was one of the most scandalous and chaotic papacies in history, filled with political intrigue, violence, betrayal, and behavior so shocking that medieval chroniclers struggled to describe it without blushing. This article explores the unbelievable rise of John XII, the accidental pope who turned the Vatican into a battleground of corruption and chaos.
A Teenager Thrown Onto the Papal Throne
The year was 955.
Rome was controlled by a powerful noble family known as the Theophylacts, who treated the papacy like a family inheritance.
When the reigning pope died, the Roman nobles gathered to choose a successor.
They intended to elect a respected churchman.
But through political pressure, confusion, and backroom manipulation, they ended up electing a teenager —
a young noble named Octavianus, barely 18 years old.
He took the name Pope John XII.
Even the chroniclers of the time wrote that his election was:
- rushed
- chaotic
- influenced by powerful families
- and possibly a mistake
But once he had the papal crown, the real chaos began.
A Papacy of Scandal
John XII was not a monk.
He was not a priest.
He was barely an adult.
And he treated the papacy like a personal playground.
Medieval sources — who were not easily shocked — accused him of:
- gambling in the papal palace
- hosting drunken parties
- turning the Lateran into a brothel
- committing acts of violence
- engaging in affairs with married women
- blessing soldiers in battle with dice in his hands
One chronicler wrote:
“He did nothing that was worthy of a pope.”
Another said:
“He was a disgrace to the Chair of Peter.”
Rome was horrified.
The Political Disaster
John XII’s behavior wasn’t just immoral — it was politically reckless.
He made alliances, broke them, betrayed allies, and enraged enemies.
At one point, he crowned Otto I as Holy Roman Emperor…
and then immediately plotted against him.
Otto marched on Rome in fury.
John XII fled the city.
The emperor held a council and declared John deposed — replacing him with a new pope.
But John XII wasn’t done.
The Comeback
John XII returned to Rome with armed supporters, stormed the city, and reclaimed the papacy.
He punished his enemies brutally:
- mutilations
- executions
- exiles
He ruled with fear and unpredictability.
But his reign would end as dramatically as it began.
The Shocking Death
In 964, at around age 27, John XII died suddenly.
The official cause?
He was killed by a jealous husband
after being caught in bed with the man’s wife.
Even his death was scandalous.
Rome was left stunned, exhausted, and traumatized by his papacy.
Why This Story Still Matters
The story of John XII is a reminder that:
- the papacy has survived every kind of leader
- political corruption can infect even sacred institutions
- God preserves the Church despite human weakness
- history is far stranger than fiction
John XII remains one of the most shocking figures ever to sit on the papal throne — a cautionary tale of power without virtue.
